INTERVIEW: Kelly Rowland

Kelly Rowland - a former member of R 'n' B mega group Destiny's Child and successful urban solo artist - certainly raised a few eyebrows last summer when she featured on French DJ David Guetta's dance anthem When Love Takes Over. Thought it was just a phase? It wasn't - album number three sees Kelly continue in her fresh electronic musical direction, working with everyone from StarGate to Ne-Yo to get there. Swaddled in a Louis Vuitton blanket, we catch up with a slightly snuffley Miss Rowland in her lavish London hotel suite to find out more…

What stage are you at with your new album? Have you settled on a release date for it?

Kelly: The release date for the album is 29th November, and I actually solidified the title of the album today with my staff. I've worked with Jim Johnson, Brian Kennedy, David Guetta, Jonas Jerberg, StarGate, Ne-Yo, Rico Love, Rob Allen, myself… it's been a lot of fun…

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What title have you settled on then? Still going with Kelly Rowland for it?

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You said in an interview earlier this year that you weren't afraid to take risks on the album - what risks did you end up taking?

Kelly: Because I come from such an urban background, dance is a risk. I tried that with When Love Takes Over and at the end of that I said 'David, let's try this again and see what happens…' And then I got Commander and after that I thought 'Well maybe I should try it with a different producer…' So I tried it with Jonas, and I tried it with Jim and I tried it with The Souldiggers, who actually fused dance and R 'n'B together, as well as Jim Johnson and it works. And I thought 'Well, maybe I'm onto something here'. People might have thought I was crazy, but it's OK, I'm not letting go of my urban roots by any means, I just want to see what happens.

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Was there anything in particular that inspired this change of musical image for you? An event perhaps, a person or a place?

Kelly: I was inspired by living in the south of France partying and going out every other night and listening to dance music. Watching other people around me and their interactions when the song comes on and into a mix the feel like they're gonna just be higher, then the climax of the song comes in with another part, and then they're like… ARRRRGGGG! It's like an explosion and it's so amazing and I was like, 'I gotta try this!'

Can you talk me through some of the tracks on the album you haven't released as singles?

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Kelly: Of course! There's one that I did called On And On which is my favourite of the album, and the reason why I love it is the way that it came about in the studio with Brian Kennedy. It was just amazing the way the song kind of glued itself together in a creative environment. When I worked with Rico Love on Everything, we just let the music take over. We were in Miami, and having fun, and it was great. When Ne-Yo sent me this song called Heaven and Earth…it made me cry! And I had a hard time trying to flush it out! Like [feigns crying] 'This song is going to be so beautiful…'

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Collaborated with a lot of different people on this album - any artists out there you're still really keen to work with?

Kelly: Kanye [West]… I would love to work with Kanye. I'm trying to get in contact with him now. Gosh, definitely, I love him. He's incredibly talented, very witty, intelligent - I love that about him as an artist, and he's very honest!

You sound smitten…

Kelly: I love that, I love that about him is that he is so honest, he doesn't hold back for anybody. He get's criticised for it, but everything that we're thinking, he's going to say. Same as Simon [Cowell]…I love Simon.

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Do you ever feel a pressure to achieve the same huge record sales successes that you did in Destiny's Child?

Kelly: I think that each album and everyone that we do we have to allow it the space to grow. It's like me asking someone to take the same steps as they did yesterday as they did today. I don't think that's fair because they don't know what the possibilities are. It's important to give each album its own living space. That's fair…

What do you think of Michelle Williams taking part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing?

Kelly: I'm excited for her. It's so crazy because I finally got a chance to see her - we hung out last night, and she was telling me about the competition, and she was saying how the judges are, how different rehearsals are, compared to what… I mean even Destiny's ever did. We never studied fox trots and waltzes and things like that, you know what I mean? Who does that unless you really want to do something like that? For me, I really wouldn't want to do something like that until I had a husband.

Ha ha ha, why is that?

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Kelly: Well just because it's something that you could go and do together. My grandparents did that. They waited until later in their marriage before they went to learn fox trot and that was a part of their growing up. My grandmother would actually waltz with us around the house when we were kids. We were like, 'Grandma, please stop…' you know what I mean? But they learnt it together. For me, I would want to learn something like that with a partner…because it's sexy. So I told her, 'I really oblige you because I would be so intimidated. Absolutely intimidated.' I'd rather learn on my own. I don't want any one judging what I do. I'm really proud of her though, I don't know how she learned a new dance in four days. She's never even seen it before. Give my sister some credit!

What are your top style tips for girls out there?

Kelly: Be comfortable with what you have on. If you have a pair of shoes that hurt, don't wear them. The ugliest think that I think I've seen is a woman walk like her feet hurt. It's awful, so make sure your shoes fit. And never let the outfit wear you - you should be wearing that outfit. And accessorise…

What do you think your biggest fashion faux pas has been?

Kelly: When I allowed somebody to talk me into wearing a dress that I wasn't comfortable in. I felt awkward the whole night, and it wore me - I didn't wear it. It was hideous. Some people thought it was cool, but I felt uncomfortable in it. And people can always tell.

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Are there any hair and beauty tips that have been passed down to you from your mum or grandmother that you still swear by?

Kelly: Yes! Completely. I oil my fingertips. I have a nice Moroccan oil in my toiletry bag, and I always tie my hair up in a silk scarf every night - that's my hair trick. My face and skin trick is to moisturise well in the winter time, because the weather eats up your skin and I never go to sleep with make up on. Someone told me it ages you ten years.

What are your must have items in your make-up bag?

Kelly: My mascara by Elaina, who's a friend of mine who just made her own mascara which I can't believe how good it is, it's amazing. My concealer by M.A.C, the one in the tube? It's fantastic. And rosebud lip salve, which is fantastic because you can use it on your lids and lips.

Are there any hair or make-up looks that you'd love to try but hasn't so far?

Kelly: I saw someone the other day with yellow on their eyelids, and it looked sooo fresh. But I thought if I did that I'd look like a clown. So I went and I bought some yellow eyeshadow from M.A.C and I noticed that when you mix it with water it works better. So I tried it, and I looked like Big Bird. I will never do that again. I just cut my hair, I really love it shorter. I would never go blonde. I'd look crazy. Probably like a washed-up whore. I would look very very cheap, it doesn't work for me.

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Destiny's Child - dead as a do-do or room for reunion?

Kelly: We don't talk about it among each other. We talk about family, we talk about building families, we talk about…but we just don't talk about that. It's just not the topic of our conversation.

Kelly Rowlands new album, which is yet to be titled, will be out on 29th November 2010.